GEMs Of Beauty: Mom’s Holiday Gift Guide

GEMs Of Beauty:
Mom’s Holiday Gift Guide

It’s the most wonderful time of the year . . . especially when you’ve gotten all your holiday shopping out of the way and you can put your feet up and drink hot spiced rum while the kids fight over their toys in the back yard, blissfully out of earshot. (Just kidding, sort of—I much prefer cold Champagne!) Here’s to a happy holiday season to all GEMs, and may your gifting be merry and bright.

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For Moms Who Need To
Encourage Hand Washing

Meow Meow Tweet Handmade Soap

What do you get for someone who loves handcrafted items? Try one of the small-batch soaps from Meow Meow Tweet, as the packaging is delightful and they smell good enough to eat. Even kids who balk at hand-washing will want to play with these.

Bliss Handy Candy

Bliss is famous for their Lemon + Sage Body Butter, but these hand creams as just as delicious. Try one from this set in High Intensity, Naked, Snowflake, or Peppermint (which I particularly like, as it’s soothing and sweet right before bed, and a lot less fattening than holiday cookies!).

For The Scent Junkie (HINT!)

Annick Goutal Un Matin D’Orage

It was a great loss to the fragrance world when the brilliant Annick Goutal died way too soon in 1999 when she was only 53. Her daughter Camille took over and has continued to create perfumes along with Isabelle Doyen. Un Matin D’Orage—translated as Stormy Morning–is another winner. It’s a wonderful white floral mélange of ginger, gardenia, shiso leaves, magnolia, champaca flowers, jasmine, Sicilian lemon, and sandalwood.

Flower Sultry

A soft oriental/floral, with top notes of plum, cranberry, and pink pepper; a middle accord of jasmine and blackberries; and a base of patchouli, vanilla, and musk, this is a great gift for a teen who wants to smell yummy (and even a bit sophisticated).

Sofia by Sofia Vergara Gift Set

If you want to smell as sexy as Sofia Vergara, opt for this gift set with Shimmer Body Lotion as well as a full-size and purse-size Eau de Parfum. It’s a sultry oriental with an enticing blend of Colombian rose, orchid, earthy woods, and vanilla.

For The Make-Up Junkie

These blendable double-ended eye pencils come in a set of 4 and are perfect for the eye-liner-challenged like yours truly. Compliment your eyes with one of the 6 colors in the Lipstick Stash. What a great idea—mini lipsticks that you can easily throw in your purse or desk drawer. (I mean, really, who ever used up an entire lipstick?) The set also comes with a full-size 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Ozone, a clear shade that’s a primer and feathering-preventer.

Buy the eye pencil set for $39 or the lipstick set for $39 at urbandecay.com

When all the ubiquitous red and green and starry white colors are making you dream of black and white, you can go for the non-traditional smoky-eye look with this eye shadow trio. I love Perelisa, as there are loads of ways to play around with by Shimmering White Rose, Soft Lavender, and Rich Eggplant. And then finish off your face with my favorite new lip color—these glosses are the opposite of sticky and go on (and stay on) smooth and silky. They have the best texture I’ve ever felt in a lip gloss.

Laura Geller Baked Gelato Lace Illuminator

Speaking of baked—which improves the texture and durability of makeup—this Illuminator is just what you need to perk up your skin for holiday festivities. No matter what your skin tone, it gives a subtle glow that is sheer and sparkly and just right.

Buy it for $27.90 at amazon.com

By Terry Baume de Rose Colour Collection

For the traveler with style, this limited edition gift set of five different travel-sized tinted lip balms inside a pink petal case will not only look chic in your carry-on, but encourage you to keep those lips hydrated when the air on the plane sucks the juice right out of you.

For The Man In Your Life

Anthony The Perfect Shave Kit

He’ll thank you when his skin feels like buttah after using these great products from Anthony. And the packaging is so chic that even the most style-challenged will be tempted to display these goodies on his bathroom shelves. The kit contains a Glycolic Facial Cleanser, Shave Cream, Pre-Shave Oil, and After Shave Balm.

For The Home Beautiful Set

Hillhouse Naturals Christmas Collection

Why not make your home smell as wonderful as you do? Forget baking those gingerbread men that never seem to look like Martha’s, and try this diffuser from Hillhouse Naturals instead. With its mixture of oranges, greens, and cinnamon, it will make any room feel as festive as the season.

Juniper Ridge Cascade Glacier Cabin Spray

Can’t deal with the mess of (or the thought of cutting down) a live tree? You can still get the fresh pungency of the outdoors inside your home with this marvelous Cascade Glacier Cabin Spray. It smells exactly like a mountain forest after a snowfall.

Baiser Rose Scented Candle

I’m not normally a rose-scent kind of gal, but this candle is beyond delicious. It’s the perfect mix of rose and jasmine, to add some summer sunshine to your home when it’s cold and dark outside (and you’ve really had enough of the firs and wreaths).

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